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$ THE GLASS FACTORY. $
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..,«=$§£@# SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST #@£§$=«,..
...,«=$§£@ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO @£§$=«,...
....,«=$§£ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY £§$=«,....
.....,«=$§ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES §$=«,.....
......,«=$ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN $=«,......
.......,«= STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. =«,.......
........,« FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR «,........
........., THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ,.........
........,« AND A GIFT SHOP. «,........
.......,«= =«,.......
......,«=$ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY $=«,......
.....,«=$§ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE §$=«,.....
....,«=$§£ CONSIDERED POOR. £§$=«,....
...,«=$§£@ @£§$=«,...
..,«=$§£@# THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, #@£§$=«,..
.,«=$§£@## DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ##@£§$=«,.
..,«=$§£@# YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, #@£§$=«,..
...,«=$§£@ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. @£§$=«,...
....,«=$§£ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND £§$=«,....
.....,«=$§ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE §$=«,.....
......,«=$ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, $=«,......
.......,«= SOME ARE SHATTERED. =«,.......
........,« «,........
........., THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ,.........
........,« A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT «,........
.......,«= GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. =«,.......
......,«=$ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON $=«,......
.....,«=$§ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF §$=«,.....
....,«=$§£ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. £§$=«,....
...,«=$§£@ @£§$=«,...
..,«=$§£@# $$ #@£§$=«,..
.,«=$§£@## $$ $$ ##@£§$=«,.
..,«=$§£@# ««««««« $ $ ««««««« #@£§$=«,..
...,«=$§£@ $$ $$ @£§$=«,...
....,«=$§£ $$ £§$=«,....
.....,«=$§ §$=«,.....
......,«=$ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE $=«,......
.......,«= OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS =«,.......
........,« OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD «,........
........., DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ,.........
........,« BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF «,........
.......,«= DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO =«,.......
......,«=$ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE $=«,......
.....,«=$§ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK §$=«,.....
....,«=$§£ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. £§$=«,....
...,«=$§£@ @£§$=«,...
..,«=$§£@# HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE #@£§$=«,..
.,«=$§£@## HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ##@£§$=«,.
..,«=$§£@# IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY #@£§$=«,..
...,«=$§£@ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE @£§$=«,...
....,«=$§£ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM £§$=«,....
.....,«=$§ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS §$=«,.....
......,«=$ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. $=«,......
.......,«= =«,.......
........,« THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT «,........
........., HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ,.........
........,« LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND «,........
.......,«= TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST =«,.......
......,«=$ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH $=«,......
.....,«=$§ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE §$=«,.....
....,«=$§£ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN £§$=«,....
...,«=$§£@ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING @£§$=«,...
..,«=$§£@# LIT FROM BEHIND. #@£§$=«,..
.,«=$§£@## ##@£§$=«,.
..,«=$§£@# I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT #@£§$=«,..
...,«=$§£@ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE @£§$=«,...
....,«=$§£ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S £§$=«,....
.....,«=$§ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN §$=«,.....
......,«=$ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, $=«,......
.......,«= AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE =«,.......
........,« OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. «,........
........., ,.........
........,« $$ «,........
.......,«= $$ $$ =«,.......
......,«=$ ««««««« $ $ ««««««« $=«,......
.....,«=$§ $$ $$ §$=«,.....
....,«=$§£ $$ £§$=«,....
...,«=$§£@ @£§$=«,...
..,«=$§£@# MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE #@£§$=«,..
.,«=$§£@## STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ##@£§$=«,.
..,«=$§£@# IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, #@£§$=«,..
...,«=$§£@ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. @£§$=«,...
....,«=$§£ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN £§$=«,....
.....,«=$§ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY §$=«,.....
......,«=$ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO $=«,......
.......,«= SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND =«,.......
........,« PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. «,........
........., ,.........
........,« THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT «,........
.......,«= THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE =«,.......
......,«=$ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM $=«,......
.....,«=$§ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS §$=«,.....
....,«=$§£ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING £§$=«,....
...,«=$§£@ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I @£§$=«,...
..,«=$§£@# SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO #@£§$=«,..
.,«=$§£@## THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ##@£§$=«,.
..,«=$§£@# IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL #@£§$=«,..
...,«=$§£@ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE @£§$=«,...
....,«=$§£ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. £§$=«,....
.....,«=$§ §$=«,.....
......,«=$ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, $=«,......
.......,«= WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND =«,.......
........,« CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS «,........
........., BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ,.........
........,« FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE «,........
.......,«= BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING =«,.......
......,«=$ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE $=«,......
.....,«=$§ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS §$=«,.....
....,«=$§£ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY £§$=«,....
...,«=$§£@ FLOOR. @£§$=«,...
..,«=$§£@# #@£§$=«,..
.,«=$§£@## HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ##@£§$=«,.
..,«=$§£@# KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE #@£§$=«,..
...,«=$§£@ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, @£§$=«,...
....,«=$§£ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK £§$=«,....
.....,«=$§ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF §$=«,.....
......,«=$ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. $=«,......
.......,«= THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. =«,.......
........,« «,........
........., I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ,.........
........,« WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO «,........
.......,«= MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A =«,.......
......,«=$ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS $=«,......
.....,«=$§ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT §$=«,.....
....,«=$§£ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, £§$=«,....
...,«=$§£@ BECOME STILL. @£§$=«,...
..,«=$§£@# #@£§$=«,..
.,«=$§£@## $$ ##@£§$=«,.
..,«=$§£@# $$ $$ #@£§$=«,..
...,«=$§£@ ««««««« $ $ ««««««« @£§$=«,...
....,«=$§£ $$ $$ £§$=«,....
.....,«=$§ $$ §$=«,.....
......,«=$ $=«,......
.......,«= A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, =«,.......
........,« AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M «,........
........., BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ,.........
........,« STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, «,........
.......,«= CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST =«,.......
......,«=$ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, $=«,......
.....,«=$§ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, §$=«,.....
....,«=$§£ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. £§$=«,....
...,«=$§£@ @£§$=«,...
..,«=$§£@# SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER #@£§$=«,..
.,«=$§£@## THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ##@£§$=«,.
..,«=$§£@# GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND #@£§$=«,..
...,«=$§£@ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE @£§$=«,...
....,«=$§£ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? £§$=«,....
.....,«=$§ §$=«,.....
......,«=$ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. $=«,......
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